Good Man
by cheezburgerlover
Summary: The team at White Forest attempts to hold off the Striders one last time. Character death, entered for the February 2010 challenge for the Can We Talk? forum.


**Entered for the writing challenge for the month of February in the Can We Talk? Forum. The rules were to make the story less than 1500 words and feature a character only seen once. With a game like Half-Life with so many quickly killed-off characters, I didn't have too much trouble deciding. The main character's name has been made up, but the actual character is there in the beginning of the Strider Battle in Episode 2.**

Lawrence Arezzo paced back and forth across the line of seated, nervous rebels. Even in a secure bunker such as White Forest, there was not one shred of security on his mind. He took a deep breath.

"Okay, I'm not going to sugar-coat this. Unless a miracle happens, we're screwed. We're tracking dozens of Combine sensors in the area. Probably a quarter of what we're picking up are Striders being carried by dropships. If a Strider gets a good shot at the silo, the rocket fuel will ignite and blow us all to kingdom come."

A scrawny young man, just barely twenty years old, raised his hand. "We got Freeman on our side."

"Freeman may be a good fighter, but he's no miracle worker." Lawrence silently admired his commanding voice. "Now, we can't make much of a difference ourselves. It's going to be Freeman's job to take down the Striders. That's where you come in." Lawrence walked over to a map of the forest valley taped to the wall of the briefing room. Red lambda symbols had been scribbled on various points on the map.

"Now," Lawrence said, "If you're too stupid to realize that this is a map of the valley adjacent to the base, now you know. The most logical place for the Combine to place the Striders is at the far end of the valley, by the sawmill." Lawrence pointed to a symbol of a tree at the top of the map with his laser pointer. "That way, the dropships won't be showered with all the rockets we have lying around. It's only something like a two kilometer stroll from the drop site to the rocket we're supposed to protect." Lawrence pointed to a large lambda symbol at the foot of the map. "While the Striders are trying to get to the base, Freeman will be using the Magnusson devices to blow up those Striders. He's not invincible, remember that. So! Your job will be to occupy these shacks in the valley." Lawrence pointed his laser at the numerous smaller lambda signs all over the map. "While Freeman is driving around and blowing up those big bastards, he's going to need ammo and health. If he should run low on either one, he's going to stop by one of these shacks. More specifically, your job is to keep these shacks stocked with all the thing's he'll need to come out victorious."

"Piece of cake!" A rebel exclaimed. He scoffed and puffed out his chest slightly.

Lawrence bit down on his tongue. A few other men clenched their jaws. No one knew this rebel's name and they hadn't bothered to ask.

"Okay, then, you'll be assigned to the biggest building in the valley. Once the Striders catch on to our little system, they'll head for that one first and blow it up before you can shit your pants."

"I can hold 'em off without any weapons!" The man insisted.

"Then give me your shotgun." Lawrence commanded.

The man looked around for a sympathetic face to get him out of the mess he had gotten himself into.

"Empty your shotgun, give it to me, and then you'll be disqualified from this mission." Lawrence said.

The man grudgingly opened the barrel of his gun and let the shells fall out. He closed the barrel and angrily tossed it on the ground before storming away.

"As I was saying, your job will be to keep the buildings stocked with supplies. If Freeman drops by and picks up some stuff, you are to immediately run back to the bunker, refill your pack from our supply room with whatever Freeman took from your building, and run back. Don't forget that there will be a machine in each building that creates Magnusson devices. The building goes, the machine goes. The reason you were chosen is the fact that you all have excellent track records. Literally." Lawrence chuckled as other men exchanged nervous glances.

"Now! Freeman is coming out at any moment. I'm going to meet him at the sawmill and show him the battle...plan, if you will. I want you all to choose a building that no one else has taken and get out there as soon as possible. I get first dibs on that one, though." Lawrence pointed to the shack nearest to the sawmill. "Don't forget, fill your packs to the brim!" Lawrence walked away, leaving the rebels to argue.

–

"What's their ETA?" Lawrence stood over the shoulder of White Forest's radar operator.

"Something like seven minutes. I'd get to the sawmill now. I'll open the gate for you."

The two men stood at the mouth of the exit to the valley. At the other end of the long corridor, a chain link fence slid aside. Lawrence took a deep breath, slung his SMG over his shoulder, and ran down the corridor towards the exit.

–

As Lawrence reached the sawmill, two other men standing in front of a map similar to that of the bunker greeted him. "How did you...how did you get here so...quickly?" He moaned and fell to his knees, remembering that there was never a time that he had ran as fast. He coughed vigorously.

"We were out here tuning up the Magnusson thingies."

"Good god." Lawrence said. "Anyone have water?"

A rebel threw a canteen in front of Lawrence. "Come on, drink up." He urged. "You'll need the hydration for all the Striders and Hunters."

"Wait...what? Hunters?" Lawrence rolled onto his back.

"The Striders are being escorted by the Hunters. Come on, Gordon'll be here any second."

Lawrence stood up and poured the water down his throat. Indeed, he heard a motor gradually getting louder.

He handed the canteen back to the rebel and faced towards the sound of the oncoming vehicle. A yellow jalopy with green racing stripes veered around a rock. The infamous doctor Freeman steered the vehicle and crashed it into a rock. Judging by the dents on the body of the car, it had taken much worse beatings.

The doctor spryly leaped out of his vehicle.

"Come closer!" Lawrence yelled. Freeman glanced about nervously and joined the group.

"So, they've sent Freeman, have they? Good man!" Lawrence flashed Gordon a smile. Upon getting no reaction in return, he continued. "We've counted a dozen Striders just north of us. Our job is to keep 'em from reaching the base to the south.." Lawrence gestured toward the large lambda at the bottom of the map taped to the base of the sawmill. "If they get close enough for one good shot, the whole launch is a bust! And in case Striders aren't bad enough, recon indicates they're being escorted by packs of hunters! Now, here's what I want you to-" Lawrence stopped short. The radar on Gordon's car beeped. The Magnusson generator at the base of the sawmill began to spin furiously before a football-esque shape materialized. Lawrence's stomach tightened.

"All right, people, this is it! Defensive positions, go!" Without looking back, Lawrence sprinted toward the shack he had claimed earlier. The ground shook as the Striders were released from dropships.

Lawrence bolted inside the crumbling wooden shack. In anticipation of the fight, each shelter had been stocked with supplies.

The first shots of the battle were fired. Lawrence stood by the entrance of the shack and watched the battle behind a fallen tree. Indeed, two Hunters were weaving between the feet of a colossal Strider, attempting to defend it from the rebels.

Gordon pulled his AR2 off his back and fired an energy bubble from the secondary barrel. It smashed into the Hunter and bounced away to hit the second.

"Wow." Lawrence said aloud.

Before Gordon could make his next move, the towering Strider raised one of its legs and brought it down on Gordon.

"No! No!" Lawrence charged out of the shack with a medkit in his hand.

Fortunately, the Strider had turned around and was slowly walking toward the base, not aware of Lawrence's presence.

As Lawrence approached Gordon's body, he slowed down and fell to his knees. The Strider had crushed Gordon's armor and slashed a hole through his body.

"Get back here!" Lawrence yelled at the Strider. It stopped in its tracks, pivoted, and fired once. Before Lawrence could react, the shot cut through his chest.

Minutes later, a siren blared through the valley through speakers on each building. The radar operator spoke nervously. "Where's Freeman? The Striders are getting too close!"

Seconds later, an explosion rattled the forest.


End file.
